ENGL 24200 Viking Literature
GE-Human Culture: Literature Who were the Vikings, what were they really like, and why do modern audiences still find them so endlessly fascinating? This course will introduce you to the early literatures of Scandinavia—Norway, Denmark, and Iceland, with occasional side-glances at Sweden and Finland. You will be reading in the major genres of these cultures—the eddas, or mythological texts; the sagas, which tell the histories and adventures of the people of Iceland or of the knights of popular imagination; and the various shorter poetic forms. You will gain a broad introductory knowledge of the diverse cultures that produced these “Viking” literatures, as well as enjoying some wonderful stories and poems and even trying your hand at writing in some of the most important poetic forms!
Credits
3